Chinese brand announces quintessentially Aussie offer for world-first ute
The Chery Stockman already has a name conceived by the Australian public, and now initial buyers are in line for a True Blue promo offer: a Bunnings gift card.
Chery is making sure there will be no excuses for its Stockman ute to not perform well when it goes on sale in Australia, targeting local customers in ways we’ve never seen before.
After holding a naming competition to select what title the Stockman would be given, Chery has now announced that reservations for the ute are now open, with those who put their name in the queue before deliveries begin offered a unique incentive.
While an offer of three years or 45,000km (whichever comes first) of complimentary scheduled servicing isn’t that unheard of, Chery has entered into an exclusive partnership with Bunnings to offer a $2000 gift card for buyers to use at the hardware giant.
For context, that $2000 could buy 20 seven-piece outdoor settings, about four mid-range lawn mowers, or nearly 1300 M8x50mm stainless steel hex head coach screws.
“We’ve had a phenomenal response to the Stockman since the first announcement, and the reservation program gives customers the opportunity to secure their place ahead of the official sales launch, while also receiving a valuable pre-launch offer,” said Chery Australia chief operating officer, Lucas Harris.
“The Stockman represents another significant step in the expansion of the Chery brand in Australia, and we look forward to sharing more details with customers as we move closer to its official launch.”
As previously reported, the Stockman will be the first ute globally to be powered by a turbo-diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain, joining a market which has already seen success with turbo-petrol PHEVs such as the BYD Shark 6.
Confirmed to produce up to 350kW and 800Nm, the Stockman outs the Ranger Hybrid (207kW/697Nm), the Shark 6 Premium 321kW/650Nm, and the Cannon Alpha PHEV (300kW/700Nm), though the JAC Hunter is still the most potent on paper, making 360kW/1010Nm.
A petrol-powered version of the Stockman is due in Australia in 2027, though no details have emerged.
Its 750kg unbraked and 3500kg braked towing capacity also matches its rivals, while its four-wheel drive system with lockable front and rear differentials is on par with the top-spec Cannon Alpha PHEV and Hunter, while beating out the Ranger Hybrid (rear differential only).
Chery has only so far confirmed the Stockman has a claimed electric-only driving range of 100km on the lenient NEDC cycle, more than double the Ranger Hybrid’s 49km claim, and identical to the Shark 6 and Hunter, however the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV is still the on-paper king with a 115km figure.
The carmaker has yet to announce how large the Stockman’s battery is, as well as a combined range figure from its turbo-diesel engine and PHEV setup. Also absent is any information on how many electric motors the Stockman features.
Measuring 5450mm long, 2010mm wide and 1890mm tall, the Stockman is roughly the same size as the Shark and Cannon Alpha, while being slightly longer than the Hunter and Ranger.
Its 247mm of ground clearance is also class-leading, while its all-terrain tyres are designed to enable it to fulfill its off-roading ambitions.
Premcar has been appointed by Chery to undertake in-market testing and validation of the Stockman locally, in order to make sure its ride and handling tuning is up to the task of pleasing Australian motorists.
Chery has said in the past that further details about the Stockman including pricing, full specifications and launch dates will be announced in the coming months, ahead of its arrival in the fourth quarter of 2026.
